Page 33 of Perfectly Matched: Harbor Falls Romance Collection

Sonofabitch! The last thing I need is a photo-hungry fan on my ass.

Nash gunned the engine and sped back through downtown Dalton Springs, faster than the speed limit suggested. He made all the lights, which was miraculous, but wanted to get the hell out of Dodge before anyone else recognized him—as well as get a jump on those who did, in case they decided to follow.

It was Mary’s fault. No, not hers. It was his fault. He should have been able to control himself and hold off on the kissing—especially in public.

He’d never felt so carefree and alive than he did with her cradled up behind him, holding on. Their glances had danced in the mirror and each time their eyes met, she tugged at his heartstrings. She belonged there, it seemed, and he lost all sense of vulnerability and sensibility when they got off the bike and he kissed her.

The wait felt like hours to touch his lips to hers again, watching their sexy plumpness in the handlebar mirror more than he had watched the road.

Usually he was smarter than that in public. No doubt, whether that guy with the camera was a fan or paparazzi, he’d sell the pics to some mag or post to social media, and then both his and Mary’s faces would be plastered all over the Internet. He’d have to answer questions about a relationship that really didn’t exist, and she’d suddenly be thrust into the limelight. He had no clue if that was something she would be upset about, or not.

For some reason, he figured she was pretty much a private person. Shy and reserved.

Dammit. This one slipup could ruin everything. Would she have anything to do with him after this? Would this incident make her turn tail and run on him again? Like last night?

No wonder celebrities took every precaution they could to keep their private lives undercover. He had to keep that in mind one hundred percent of the time.

With Mary, he’d basically lost all sense of priority.

He was smitten. Hell. That sounded like something his grandma would say but it was true.

Out of town now and heading toward Harbor Falls, he relaxed and looked yet again into the mirror on his handlebar. Mary stared toward the side of the road. She still gripped him as tight as before, but something had changed between the two of them. He wondered what she was thinking.

Hell, she was probably wondering what he was thinking.

He should take her back to the inn. Tell her it was a great ride and head back to his bus for the afternoon, and then up to the lodge to get ready for the show. He should, but he didn’t want to. They had a few hours and he wasn’t ready to let Mary go, not just yet, until he figured out a few things. Until he wooed her back into his arms again.

Hell, he’d probably scared the shit out of her back there. He just needed a little time to make things right again with her. He didn’t want to take any chances. Time and a little privacy. Luckily, he had a solution for both.

Along with the keys to the bike, Brad had also given him the keys to one of his cabins up behind the lodge. Nash had been damned surprised but then Brad said.

“If you hurt her, you have me to deal with, but perhaps you two want a little alone time—just to see if there are sparks.”

The last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of Mary or hurt her. That Brad trusted him with his wife’s friend meant a lot, and only told him that these were good people. He valued honesty and directness. Finding out if there were sparks with Mary—hell, he already knew that, and he figured so had she. He wasn’t a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy, though. He did have a strong desire right now to get away from the world, music, paparazzi, fans, and who knows what else for a few hours. Since Mary was here, well, he hoped she didn’t mind tagging along.

Because she didn’t have a choice. This time he’d make sure she couldn’t run away until they had time to talk and get to know each other a little better.

****

They were headed back toward Harbor Falls, so Mary figured Nash was taking her home—or rather back to the inn. He didn’t know where she lived and that was a good thing. Her mind spun the entire ride back over the mountain. Oh, she could understand Nash’s anger at the amateur photographer, if that is what he was. Then the crowd erupted around them and suddenly things felt out of control. She’d watched enough Celebrity TV to know stars didn’t like cameras flashing in their faces.

She had to wonder, though, if he was upset about having his picture taken—or if it was the fact that the picture was taken while he was kissing her. Was that what angered him? Was he embarrassed to be seen kissing such a plain Jane with mussed hair and smudged makeup?

Obviously, that was part of it. He’d high-tailed them out of town in an instant.

But as they approached Harbor Falls, instead of turning onto Lake Road, Nash headed up the mountain road toward the lodge. Mary scowled. Where were they going? She tried to catch Nash’s eyes in the mirror, but he was intent watching the road in front of him.

They raced past the lodge, took a dirt road, and at a slower speed now, wove their way through pines, cedars, and rhododendron to another turnoff, leading to a cluster of cabins.

Brad and Suzie’s cabins. The ones they rented out in the summer in addition to rooms at the lodge. A sliver of panic sped through her. What did he have in mind?

He pulled up to the last cabin, parked, and killed the engine. He sat for a moment, took off his helmet next, and then twisted back to look at her.

“This isn’t what you think,” he said.

“What do you think I think?”

Funny how much bolder she was getting by the hour.

Getting off the bike, he reached for her hand and steadied her as she got off the bike too. He squared himself in front of her and removed her helmet.

“I just need some peace and quiet. Some down time before this concert tonight. I need a few hours to escape. I promise, I won’t touch you, kiss you, or anything. I won’t do anything you don’t want to do. I just need…”

He glanced off for a minute, then rotated back to catch her gaze. His voice lower, he said.

“Just be with me. Okay?”

Lifting her chin and setting her jaw, she gazed up into his coffee-color eyes.

“All right.”

“Good.”

Grasping her hand, he tugged her closer.

“Let’s see if we can get this door unlocked. I have the keys.”

“Oh?”

That surprised her a little.

“Yeah, Brad.”

He shrugged.

Laughing, she shook her head.

“No, Suzie. I’d bet my last dollar on it. She thinks she’s a matchmaker.”

His brow arched. “Really?”

“Um hm.”

“Is that what was going on yesterday?”

Nodding, Mary said.

“Yes, partly. I’m sorry about that.”

Still holding her hand, he turned and faced her. “I’m not.”

He leaned and Mary thought he might try to kiss her again, and then he hesitated, paused.

“Nash,”

she whispered, tilting her head up to watch his face.

“What if I want you to kiss me again? What if I want more?”

She couldn’t believe she was being so brazen, but it felt right, and it was, deep in her heart, what she wanted. She wanted more time with Nash; she wanted to be with him—in all ways.

His stare back went on for a small eternity, as if he were contemplating something deep and philosophical. In fact, he was probably doing the same thing as her—weighing the consequences of what was going on inside his body, his heart, and his brain. All Mary could feel, however, was the dare she had tossed out, and she quavered in the anticipation of his reaction.

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Be sure,”

he groaned and leaned into her.

Mary reached up and traced the backs of her fingertips against his cheek.

“I am very sure,”

she whispered.

Nash moved swiftly, before she could react. He picked her up, swung her into his arms, and carried her off toward the cabin. Her arms went around his neck and his lips lowered to capture hers, wet and hot, and sucking on them as he tripped toward the house.

He set her down at the door and fumbled for the key in his pocket. Found it. Unlocked the cabin door and pushed inward. They rushed inside and he locked the door behind them.

Mary watched as he glanced about, hoisted her into his arms again, and started for the stairs. With each stride he took, her anxiety level rose, and her stomach rumbaed under her ribs. He crossed the second-floor landing and didn’t stop until he found a bedroom with a king-sized bed and plopped her in the center of it, his body following.

Mary shivered.

“It’s a little cold in here.”

“Not for long.”

Nash rose and pulled her to her feet, then he ripped back the comforter and sheets. In the next motion, he sat her on the bed, pulled off Suzie’s red boots, and kicked his own off. They felt to the floor with a thud.

Then he pushed her back into the center of the bed and covered her with his body.

His length spanned hers and more, and he hooked a leg over her hip and drew her into him. Her body trilled from the top of her head to her toes, wanting only to burrow closer. They were so close, face to face, breath to breath, their heads resting on the same pillow. He pulled the covers up around them.

“Better?”

“Oh, much better,”

she whispered.

Nash stroked under her chin and angled her face to his. The kiss they shared was as sweet and patient as the urgent kiss they shared earlier was rapid and reckless. And she was right all those times in her fantasies. He smelled of a hint of tobacco, the deep scent of male musk, and sex.

Pure, unadulterated sex. And she wanted some.

His mouth covered hers. The groan deep in his throat matched her own whimper and sigh. Finally, Nash broke the kiss and looked deep into her eyes.

“There is something I want to say.”

He spoke soft and direct.

Mary nodded.

“Yes. Me, too.”

He seemed puzzled but continued.

“I’m very attracted to you, Mary. Have been from the first moment I saw you. Looking down into your fluttering blue eyes when I carried you up those stairs got me straight in the heart.”

Mary felt her mouth twitch into a half-smile. Nash grinned back and rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. This wasn’t happening, was it? Was the Nash Rhodes saying these things to her?

“Nash, I’ve been attracted to you since…well, since the first time I saw you on CMT. Like half of the American female population.”

“Only half?”

They laughed together and then Nash’s face grew serious.

“I want to make love to you, Mary. But I can’t promise you anything. My life, right now, things are…”

Mary knew this was when she should spend a few minutes weighing what was happening. Should she? Or shouldn’t she allow this to move forward? What are the pros? Cons? Did she care? Would she savor this afternoon for the rest of her life, or regret it with everything in her?

She didn’t weigh anything out. She just said what was in her heart.

“Don’t promise me anything but your undivided attention this afternoon. The future is never a given, Nash. Let’s just have today.”

And she meant that. Truly.

Exhaling deep, he closed his eyes.

“You’re right about the future. How well I know that.”

“Sounds like there is more to that story,” she said.

“Yes, but that’s a conversation for another day.”

Mary smiled again, thinking that perhaps they would share another day in the future.

“Well, I’ll wait for that conversation then.”

He grinned back and nuzzled her neck.

“You are a gem, Mary, and I’m a horny sonofabitch.”

Laughing, she leaned closer into his nuzzle.

“I’m a little twitchy myself,”

she whispered.

“In all honesty, it’s been a while for me.”

“Hell honey, I can’t count the months it’s been for me. Living on the road might seem glamorous and wild but no…”

He leaned up on an elbow and stared down at her.

“Sort of difficult to meet the right kind of women, you know? The timing, the career. The travel. A relationship is out of the question and I’m not a one-night stand kind of guy. Although, from where you sit right now you might be thinking otherwise.”

She shook her head.

“No Nash. I’m not thinking that at all. I understand.”

“I’m sort of married to music, you know?”

Married. To music. And she…? Well, she was engaged.

“I…”

She almost blurted out those words but held them back. He’d turn tail and run if he knew she was engaged, and that was not what she wanted. Not at all. In fact, she knew right then, that she wanted to be with Nash more than anything, and she’d take whatever he was offering.

I have to break the engagement with Barry. Today.

“It’s okay, Nash,”

she whispered.

“I understand. Music is your life. You can’t make promises. The truth is, I can’t make any promises either right now. Don’t ask me to explain why. Just give me this afternoon. I won’t hold you to anything. I won’t trap you into anything. I’m not the kind of girl.”

Nash silenced her with his lips.

“I know you’re not. You’re not like any women out there trying to get their hooks in me. Mary…”

his fingers started a slow trail down the placket of her shirt.

“I want to lose myself in you this afternoon. I want to love you and pleasure you and…”

I want to love you and pleasure you. Love. If only…

****

If only you were that kind of girl. It would be easier to leave.

Nash knew in his gut that he shouldn’t be moving forward with Mary. That he shouldn’t be leisurely undoing each small button down the front of her white cotton blouse. That he shouldn’t be laying the front open to reveal her sexy, lacy bra with full breasts straining against the flimsy fabric, aching for his palm around them.

Or dipping his fingers lower into the waistband of her jeans.

He shouldn’t be doing any of this. But he was.

I can’t make any promises either right now. Don’t ask me to explain why. Those words nagged at him for a few seconds, wondering exactly what they meant, but the moment he touched her deep inside her jeans, pushing down her panties, and feeling her heat and unleashing her musk, all words were forgotten.

“Mary, sweet Mary…”

he whispered and leaned in to nuzzle the hollow of her neck. She smelled like roses and strawberries, fresh, dewy, and succulent, and that’s exactly what he wanted to do—suck the dew from her skin, and elsewhere.

His fingers searched deeper.

She squirmed in his arms.

“Make love to me, Nash,”

she whispered.

“I want you so much….”

Groaning, he rolled away and sat on the edge of the bed. He stood and lowered his zipper and removed his jeans, briefs, socks, and shirt, tossing every article hither and yon. He didn’t care.

Where he wanted to be was in Mary’s arms. Her naked arms.

She leaned up and started to remove her shirt.

“No,”

he told her, laying a hand on her forearm.

“Let me finish undressing you.”

But before he moved to her, he grabbed his jeans and removed his wallet. He located a couple of small foil packets inside and set them on the bedside table.

Last thing either of us needs is a baby.

“Now,”

he growled and rolled into bed alongside her.

“Now I will undress you.”

And believe you me, I am going to enjoy every long and tortuous minute of it.

****

You would think he had all day by the way his fingers ambled over her body. Mary squeezed her thighs together as the tingling at her center grew into more of a throb. Nash began a slow and sensuous decent down the front of her blouse, pulled her to a sitting position, and caressingly removed first one sleeve then another. Smoothing his large palms down each of her arms from shoulder to wrist, he stopped at each hand and then lovingly kissed and sucked each of her fingers. The unhurried pace was about to send her over the edge with want as he took all ten fingertips into his mouth, one at a time, sucked them until he had his fill, and then moved on to the next.

Her blouse tossed away, her fingers each given equal and undivided attention, he slipped first one bra strap and then the other off her shoulder. The cups of her bra shifted and lowered with the weight of her breasts. Nash skimmed one flat palm over her chest and cupped her.

“Lovely,”

he breathed.

“I love the heaviness of your breasts.”

Mary watched his hand slip into the cup, cradle her, then twist and fiddle with her nipple. Passion zinged from the tip of that nipple to her center.

Nash tipped her chin up so she could look at his face.

“Look into my eyes,”

he told her.

“Don’t take your eyes away from mine.”

She didn’t. She hooked into his gaze and held it while her chest started a rapid lifting and sinking with each swift and shallow breath she took. His eyes held her spellbound as his fingers kneaded her flesh, now hot under his touch, and pinched and toyed with her pebbled nipple. The more he tugged and taunted, the deeper the connection, and the more aroused she became between her legs.

“Nash, you are driving me crazy,”

she breathed.

A sly grin crossed his lips. “Good.”

The throbbing in her panties was nearly out of control now. She tried to keep herself from shivering.

“I need to give some attention to the other side. Don’t look away, Mary. Keep looking into my eyes.”

Could she do anything else? He had captured with an invisible thread between their gazes. She was a slave to his command. This time, however, he eased the other breast out of its cup and lowered his head to take her fully into his mouth. She longed to toss her head back and close her eyes and let him devour her. But she couldn’t. She would not break this connection. Ever.

“Watch my eyes, Mary,”

he said while twirling her nipple with his tongue. His brown orbs held her there and the more she gazed, the wetter her panties became. He sucked and she breathed harder and harder. He deepened his kiss on her breast and his tongue lolled over her.

It was all she could do not to squirm on the bed. Her breathing deepened, her lower body on fire. All the while, her gaze never left his.

My God, she might even have an orgasm with her jeans still on.

“Nash, please…”

She grasped for him and smoothed her hands down his muscled side. Oh, God. He felt so.

“Dammit, Nash. I can’t wait much…”

Oh, she wanted him so.

He released her breasts and she slithered downward. She broke his gaze and found what she wanted. Nash’s nakedness. The entire length of him. In all his wondrous male glory. Her mouth trailed over his chest and lower, and quickly, she found what she wanted.

Oh. My. God.

He was large, hard, and leapt in excitement as she looked at the thing that made him all male. Yes, indeed. She grasped his cock and firmly stroked.

“Oh, God, Mary…”

At once, he flipped her onto her back, and removed her jeans, panties, and socks in a fraction of the time it took him to remove her blouse. The stripping of her clothes from her body only fueled the passion building inside her.

“I wanted to do this slow and lazy,”

he groaned.

“take all afternoon to love you,”

he added.

“But that’s not happening.”

He pushed her knees apart and covered her body.

Her lips grazed his.

“We can do slow and lazy next,”

she breathed.

“Take me fast and hard now. Please.”

Mary had no clue where the wanton wench inside her had been hiding all these years, or why she was coming out this afternoon to play so wickedly, but she didn’t care. All she wanted at this moment was Nash, inside her.

Obviously, he wasn’t going to second guess her on that. He leaned on one elbow and palmed her between her legs. His fingers, long like everything else on him, played and teased, sliding in and out of her while his thumb scrolled over the rigid nub between her lips.

“Nash, my God. I can’t. Oh…”

Urgency built within her and she felt she would explode. She was not that sexually experienced, but this—this was far beyond any sexual experience she had ever encountered.

“You are so damn wet,”

he groaned.

Her body took over and she clutched at him.

“N-Nash… Oh…”

“There baby.”

His lips were close to her ear now. Soft and raking feathery sensations around her earlobe.

“Let me have it.”

She exploded in his hand, his fingers inside her, and her body reacted by lurching into him. He held her tight, pushing the heel of his hand into her clit, prolonging the orgasm. She soared into the heavens, and then fell into his abyss, in the safe and secure cocoon of his maleness, landing softly in his sweet embrace.

He kissed her then, laying her back against the bed. He stretched and reached to the night table, fumbling with the condom packet and took care of protecting her. Then he covered her body with his. He kissed her with tenderness and desire as he stroked her face with loving caresses.

“My sweet, sweet Mary…”

he breathed, and her heart melted.

Without another word, he leaned up, pushed between her thighs, and thrust his cock into her. His length and girth thrilled her to no end, and the lethargic feeling she’d had seconds earlier after her powerful orgasm disappeared was gone, and the wanton wench was back again, wanting him more than ever.

She spread her legs and wrapped them around him.

“Take me, Nash,”

she whispered.

“Now. I’m yours.”

Their bodies crashed, as fingers and hands plied flesh and mouths searched and melded in one fierce and elemental answering of need and desire. No sense of time or place, just the two of them, searching and perhaps, finding.

Nash shouted his release and collapsed into her too soon, saying her name over and over on hushed and labored breaths, while Mary savored the moment and tried hard to squeeze away the tears in her eyes—unsure if they were tears of happiness, or something else.